Türkiye's first lady on World Habitat Day pledges healthy, livable world for everyone

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) – Türkiye’s first lady Emine Erdogan said on Monday that she hopes “the World Habitat Day program held in Azerbaijan contributes to building a better future."

World Habitat Day program took place in the cities of Zangilan, southwest of the country, and Baku, from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, under the theme of “Resilient Urban Economies.”

Emine Erdogan said on X: "We have pledged to make the world a healthy, more livable, and sustainable place for everyone with the global #ZeroWaste movement."

Emphasizing that the first step towards transformation and change begins with safe and clean cities, she stressed: "With this goal in mind, I hope that this year's #WorldHabitatDay program held in our brother country, Azerbaijan, strengthens international cooperation and contributes to building a better future."

World Habitat Day, celebrated on the first Monday of October annually and recognized by the UN, encourages reflection on urban conditions and the universal right to adequate housing. It underscores the idea that each person has the power and responsibility to shape the future of cities, according to the UN-Habitat website.

The Zero Waste project, spearheaded in Türkiye by Emine Erdogan in 2017, was jointly developed on an international level last year by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Earlier in September, on the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly in New York, Erdogan signed a Global Zero Waste goodwill declaration.

President Erdogan became the first zero waste volunteer by being the inaugural signatory of the Global Zero Waste Goodwill Declaration, made available for individual participation on its website, in support of the Global Zero Waste Movement led by Emine Erdogan.